Dot Branning
Dorothy "Dot" Branning (née Colwell; previously Cotton) Born: 8 January 1936 Occupation: *Launderette Manageress Family: Dot was born in Walford, but during the Second World War, she was evacuated to Wales. She became very close to her guardians, Gwen and Will, who wished to adopt her. She back to Walford after Will’s death and spent the remainder of her childhood helping her mother care for her siblings, Gerry, Tim, and Rose. She married Charlie Cotton at the age of 20 and a year later he forced her to have an abortion. He threatened to leave if she did not, then left anyway because it was a bigamous marriage. While Dot was giving birth to their only son Nick in 1956, Charlie was having an affair with her sister Rose in Liverpool. 1985—Present Dot is introduced as the gossiping Christian friend of Ethel Skinner and Lou Beale who works with Pauline Fowler at the Walford launderette. She has a difficult life with a criminal husband, Charlie, and their son Nick, who is even worse. Charlie comes and goes, always treating Dot badly and stealing from her, until he dies in a lorry accident in 1991. Nick is also a criminal; he is involved in drugs, robberies, and murder and tries to cheat Dot out of her money. He attempts to poison her in 1990 to inherit her bingo winnings, but is unsuccessful. Despite Nick's deeds, Dot believes he can be redeemed. In July 1993, Nick arrives in Walford with his wife Zoe, and introduces Dot to their son Ashley. Dot becomes close to Ashley and eventually Zoe asks her to move to Gravesend with them. Dot leaves the Square, and isn’t seen again for nearly 4 years. Dot returns to Walford on 14 April 1997, revealing that Nick has been arrested for drugs possession and Zoe and Ashley have moved away. Dot is shocked by Nick's surprise return in April 1998. He tries to steal her money again by claiming he has AIDS and needs money to travel to France where Ashley and Zoe live. Dot believes him but later discovers that he was lying and on the run from the police. She contacts the police, and he is arrested a week after his return. Dot later moves in with fellow senior citizen Lilly Mattock, and is arrested for the illegal use of cannabis, which she confuses for herbal tea. Lilly leaves the Square after she is mugged, and Dot moves in with Pauline. Later, her best friend Ethel becomes terminally ill and begs Dot to end her life. Torn between her Christian beliefs against euthanasia and her best friend's wishes, she helps Ethel die, but later she feels that she should be jailed for murder. In November 2000, Nick and Ashley reappear in Walford. Nick's feud with Mark Fowler causes Ashley's death in June 2001, after Nick cuts the brakes on Mark's motorbike and Ashley steals it and crashes it in Bridge Street. Dot finally disowns Nick for good soon after Ashley's funeral. She starts a relationship with neighbour Jim Branning, but when he proposed in 2001, she is overwhelmed and leaves Walford. But Jim perseveres, and when they go on the London Eye on Christmas Eve 2001, he proposes again and she accepts. Dot spends much time before the wedding worrying about the wedding night. The pair eventually decided that they will have a platonic marital relationship. In 2004, Dot is diagnosed with cancer of the kidney and decides not to tell anyone except her friend Dennis Rickman. She refuses treatment and plans to die quietly. However, after an argument with Den Watts, Dot confides in Jim, and decides to undergo chemotherapy after being persuaded by Dennis. This is a success, and she makes a full recovery. In May 2006, Jim receives a call from Nick, who is in a prison hospital, suffering from throat cancer. Jim tries to keep this a secret from Dot, but she finds out. She goes to visit Nick to care for him, fearing he will soon die. However, Nick makes a full recovery and Dot returns to the Square within weeks. On Christmas Day 2006, Dot's oldest remaining friend, Pauline Fowler dies. Dot discovers that Pauline's husband, Joe Macer, murdered her, and tries to call the police. A scuffle ensues, and ends with Joe losing his footing and falling from a first floor window to his death. Dot keeps Pauline's ashes for several months, until Jim refuses to "share" Dot with Pauline any more and orders her to dispose of them. Dot buries her ashes at the grave of Pauline's first husband, Arthur Fowler, bidding her friend farewell. In April 2007, Dot finds an abandoned baby in a church. She takes the baby, Tomas, home, leaving her contact details at the church. Tomas's mother Anya arrives in Walford, revealing she is an illegal immigrant. Jim anonymously reports her, and when she is deported, Dot hides Tomas from the authorities, vowing to take care of him. Dot and Jim struggle to look after the baby, and after talking to the local vicar and her old friend Dr. Legg, Dot decides to hand him over to social services in June 2007. In August 2007, Jim goes to stay with his daughter, Carol. In October 2007, Dot learns that Jim had had a stroke and is seriously ill. She later asks Jim's friends to record messages for him, and when she records her own, decides that she could not cope with looking after Jim at home and that he will have to go into a nursing home. Around Christmas 2008, there are numerous Good Samaritan deeds done around the Square, including paying for new decorations for the vandalised communal Christmas tree, and a large donation to the church roof fund. Heather Trott discovers Dot has given large amounts of money to good causes and decided to tell the local paper. On Christmas Day, Nick returns after a seven year absence. He tells Dot he has changed, and is now a plumber, introducing her to his six-year-old daughter Dotty. Dot soon discovers, however, that Nick does not have a job and is only there for her money. With Dot refusing to give in to his demands, Nick gives her an ultimatum – the money or her granddaughter. Dot decides to give Nick the money, and in exchange, looks after Dotty. It is later revealed Dotty and Nick are planning to kill Dot for her life insurance. They convince her that she has symptoms of dementia, but their plan backfires when Dotty exposes the plot and in a rage, Nick holds various members of the community hostage, resulting in an explosion. Nick survives and after being disowned by Dot, he informs her that Dotty had masterminded the murder plot before fleeing. Dotty is retrieved by her mother in 2010 following various devious deeds, such as accusing Dot of beating her, which leads to Dot being questioned by the police for child abuse. Nevertheless, Dot is sorry to see Dotty go; she concentrates on caring for Jim following his return home, but finds being a full-time carer tiring. Feeling lonely, she meets Grace Olubunmi and after some persuading, allows her to work at the launderette. She and Grace attend Edward Bishop's choir group and Dot grows close to Edward. Dot fractures her wrist after a fall, and struggles to look after Jim. Jim goes into respite care, and Dot hires a carer, Marta Demboski. Dot and Edward develop a relationship, and Jim returns home. Dot feels guilty when Edward holds her hand so she asks him to leave and never come back. She sacks Marta when she thinks she stole some cash, and later returns home to find the dinner is burning in the oven and she becomes stressed by the sound of Jim's buzzer. She finds the cash she accused Marta of taking, and things become too much, so she tells Jim she cannot cope, and asks Carol why she had to "meet him so near the end". Dot then gains her young friend Fatboy as a lodger. When Dot suffers the worst migraines she has ever had, she fears she is dying and decides to start a list of things to do before she dies, one of them being to make amends with her sister, Rose. She finds Rose in Southend on Sea where they bond, and Dot asks Rose to live with her as they are both lonely. However, Rose's son Andrew reveals his last name is Cotton, and Rose is forced to admit that Andrew's father is Dot's first husband Charlie Cotton, who had a bigamous marriage with Rose. Dot kicks Rose out but she later returns, saying she does not want to lose her sister again. To the chagrin of Dot, Rose and Reverend Stevens become closer. At a church social event, Reverend Stevens asks for Dot's blessing to date Rose. Dot agrees, but is privately unhappy about her sister's new romance. After Rose spends the night with Patrick Trueman, Cora Cross laughs at Dot, so Dot throws her out. Rose accuses Dot of being jealous of her relationship with the Reverend Stevens. Dot then throws Rose out, telling her to move back to Southend. Dot also discovers Rose's passport which reveals Rose had remarried again. When Dot confronts her, Rose reveals that the marriage was abusive. Dot then allows Rose to move back in with her. Andrew comes back to Walford in December, and promises to stay for Christmas, much to the delight of Rose and Dot. Category:Lady C